REDD FOXX R.I.P. RAUNCH IN PERPETUITY!
October 12, 2012
In 1975, Redd Foxx who has the number one TV show in the U.S., “Sanford and Son” is looking to make some investments. His manager contacts me and tells me that my young publishing company has come to the attention of he and Redd and they’d like to set up a meeting with me to talk about buying an interest in it. After attending the taping of the TV show, my friend producer Lou Reizner (Rod Stewart) and I go up to Redd’s mansion, which used to belong to Sonny and Cher.
Although I’ve seen him perform many times, this is the first time I meet one of the funniest men in the world up close and personal. His manager takes us into the music room, where Redd is jamming with his longtime friend, blues man, “Scatman” Crothers, who appears on his weekly show and another long time friend, 40’s crooner, Billy Eckstein.
I sit back and watch, while the three of them put on a show. Billy sings a love song Redd wrote back in the ‘40s, while Scatman plays a washtub bass. Then Scatman sings his scathing, but catchy, protest song, “March on Niggers, March on!”
When they finish and it’s my turn to perform, I pick up a guitar and play
“Daddy, Daddy what is Heaven Like? Is it like our house so pretty and White?
It doesn’t seem right, it doesn’t seem fair…If Mommy loved us so…why’d she go there?”
“Heaven, my child, is a beautiful place where there’s a smile on everyone’s face
Mommy loved us both but she had to go…we needed her so but they needed her more”
(Redd puts his hand over my guitar strings and says to his friends)
“Imagine a flashback scene with me singing this to my son Lamont when he’s 8 years old!”
Scatman- “Yeah, we’re talking Emmy here!”
(I pry Redd’s hands from the guitar and continue.)
“Daddy, Daddy is Heaven very far? How long would it take if we go by car?
If you cross me at the corner, I can take my bike…Daddy, please tell me what is Heaven like?”
“You can’t go there by a bike or a car…if you’re good you’ll go real far.
Maybe someday you’ll go to Heaven to…If I know your Mommy she’s saved a place for you.”
(Once again Redd puts his hand over my guitar strings and says, “I love it, we even can make a record of it.”
Billy Eckstein- “Now we’re talkin’ Grammy!”
(I move Redd’s hand from the strings once again and snap.)
“Will you let me finish the damn song?”
I clear my throat and continue…
“Daddy, Daddy I can hardly wait…I’m so excited Heaven sounds great!
Can I run and tell sister goodbye? Why is there Daddy a teardrop in your eye?”
Copyright 1966/ 2012 and Wayne Art Music
At first there’s a dead silence…then they all start talking at once! Everybody has an idea or an opinion on how to make my song, and the possible TV show or film better…while I just shake my head. Then Redd puts his arm around me takes me into another room and says, “I know you must be overwhelmed by all of this! I like you Artie… (Then he breaks out a little amber vial, takes a snort and offers me one. It’s probably, the strongest and coarsest coke that I’ve ever had, which makes me temporarily lose my vision.)
When I scream…”I CAN’T SEE…I CAN’T SEE!” …Redd smiles and says, “Yeah…that’s some good shit, ain’t it!”
When he tells me he wants to buy 51% of my company for $100,000 and he is willing to be more than just a “silent” partner, I politely pass on the offer, as well as on another snort!”
Copyright 2012 by Artie Wayne
WHILE FIGHTING LARGE CORPORATIONS WHO ARE TRYING TO KEEP ROYALTIES AWAY ME AND THOUSANDS OF OTHER ARTISTS, SONGWRITERS AND PUBLISHERS, MY ONLY SOURCE OF INCOME IS FROM THE SALE OF MY BOOK. ” I DID IT FOR A SONG”, WITH OVER 100 STORIES FROM THE MUSIC BUSINESS OF THE ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s. I HOPE YOU’LL CONSIDER BUYING ONE DIRECTLY FROM ME THROUGH PAYPAL FOR ONLY $9.99 AT artiewayne@gmail.com OR BY CHECK TO…ARTIE WAYNE P.O. BOX 1105, DESERT HOT SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA 92240
THANKS AND REGARDS, ARTIE WAYNE https://artiewayne.wordpress.com/2012/04/10/celebrating-two-million-views-today-on-artie-wayne-on-the-web/
BACK TO ARTIE WAYNE ON THE WEB https://artiewayne.wordpress.com
For the last three years I’ve been writing my book about my 50 years in the music business. I was warned not to write about certain people, certain companies, and certain things which made me want to tell more.
As my blog became more popular with over 1,870,000 VIEWS, I began to get bolder and relentlessly went after large corporations and social networks until they discontinued some of their questionable practices.
I’m proud to have been the first to write about Tommy James’ shocking book, “ME, THE MOB, AND THE MUSIC” and have an exclusive no-holds barred three part interview with my pal from the past and former label mate…probably the only such event where the participants didn’t have to go into the witness protection program right after the show!
In my book, “I DID IT FOR A SONG”, I write about my first hand experiences songwriting (Aretha, Michael Jackson,Tony Orlando, Cher, etc.) producing (the Kingsmen, The Shirelles, the Guess Who) and getting hits for Warner Brothers Music (“You’re 16″, “R+R Heaven”) and Irving/ Almo music (“I Honestly Love You”, “Our Day Will Come”).
I share my private stories about, Carole King, MORRIS LEVY, Neil Bogart, The BEATLES, Jimi Hendrix, SCOTT SHANNON, Eagles, MICHAEL JACKSON, Bert Berns, THREE DOG NIGHT, Alan Freed, BOBBY DARIN, Brian Wilson, PAUL WILLIAMS, Murray The K, TOMMY JAMES and the Shondells, Olivia Newton-John, HERB ALPERT, JERRY MOSS, Don Kirshner, RICK JAMES, Rolling Stones, ELLIE GREENWICH, Clive Davis, Barry White, DAVID GEFFEN, Marvin Gaye, QUINCY JONES, The Rolling Stones, DAVID BOWIE, Phil Spector, AND DOZENS MORE!
EXTRA! EXTRA! YOU CAN BUY MY BOOK ,“I DID IT FOR A SONG” AT AMAZON or Barnes & Noble or 
TO READ A CHAPTER OR TWO FOR FREE CLICK HERE
TO READ SOME OF THE COMMENTS CLICK HERE
Thanks and regards, Artie Wayne http://artiewayne.com
Special thanks to Sally Stevens for the Rainbow’s End photopainting on the cover. http://sallystevens.fineartstudioonline.com/
http://rockphiles.typepad.com/a_life_in_the_day/
http://www.rockphiles.com/rp_artistIndex.php
Copyright 2011 by Artie Wayne https://artiewayne.wordpress.com/about-artie-wayne/
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TOP 30 BEE GEE VIDEOS FOR FREE!
June 20, 2009
They’re all here 30 BEE GEE VIDEOS, Rare clips, ORIGINAL VIDEOS, unseen concert footage and personal remembrances! PLUS covers of Bee Gee songs by Al Green, Yvonne Elliman, Kenny Rogers, Dolly Parton, and Andy Gibb.
I liked the Bee Gees from the moment I heard “1941 Mining Disaster” and in 1968 my partners and I picked up the US sub publishing for their 1st Australian album. Although I wasn’t able to get any cover records on their songs, I did become a lifetime fan.
NEW YORK MINING DISASTER 1941 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AN7nfxx1ulw&feature=related
GOTTA” GET A MESSAGE TO YOU http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-lXkFUknQY&feature=related
Even though a few of their first hits were lyrically obscure, like “I Started A Joke”and “Massachusetts”, Barry, Robin, and Maurice developed into classic songwriters. Every time I listened to one of their new records I could hear three distinct contributors who eventually melted into a universal chorus that the whole world could sing.
I STARTED A JOKE http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfX7C7APlr8&feature=related
In 1969 their music permeated my creative consciousness and I morphed into Shadow Mann, a hybrid of Jimi Hendrix and Barry Gibb and put out my first album for Morris Levy (Tommy James, The Exciters). While I sank into the sea of obscurity, the Bee Gees rode a wave of unforgettable hits. In 1970 when I was General Professional manager of Warner Brothers Music, I was thrilled to represent some of the group’s greatest songs. “Lonely Days”, “Run To Me”, and “How Can You Mend A Broken Heart?” which we got Al Green to cut.
LONELY DAYS http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Pn1SGRq7_Y&feature=related
RUN TO ME http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPDwd5UiRC0&feature=related
HOW CAN YOU MEND A BROKEN HEART? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOGODoE4qKc
HOW CAN YOU MEND A BROKEN HEART? By AL GREEN http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzitOsxKJNY&feature=related
Just as the public began to get weary of the group’s sentimental fare, they updated the menu and served up a new main course. Although their music had always been soulful it wasn’t until they were produced by Arif Mardin (Aretha Franklyn, The Rascals) did they dominate the R&B market as well. “Mardin, when producing the Bee Gees’ 1975 “Main Course” album track “Nights On Broadway” famously discovered the distinctive falsetto of Barry Gibb, which became a familiar trademark of the band throughout the disco era.”
Once my late partner Lou Reizner, the man who discovered and produced the Singing Nun and Rod Stewart, developed a taste for larger than life productions, there was no going back. Still riding the success of his stellar recording of the Rock opera “Tommy” that he produced with a cast that included Roger Daltry, Elton John, Tina Turner, as well as the London Symphony orchestra… Lou was determined his next project would be as spectacular!
“Lou was larger than life himself. At 6′4″ he looked more like an action hero than the transplanted American who once ran Mercury Records International in London. I remember when I was staying with Lou and his wife Pam in Knightsbridge; he sat me down in a futuristic cocoon like chair, with built-in stereo speakers, and proceeded to play me a dozen or so tracks he just produced on the Bee Gees. Robert Stigwood had hired him to be the musical director of his soon to be produced film, “Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” and these incredible recordings of John Lennon and Paul McCartney songs were to be part of the sound track.
Several months later, when Lou was staying with me in Hollywood, the project had developed into something else. It seems that Robert Stigwood and Lou couldn’t make a deal, and Stigwood gave the rights to the tracks back to Lou, including 3 performances by the Bee Gees as part of a settlement.
Our lawyer and manager, Marty Machat, Russ Regan, who was head of 20th Century records, and Lou got together and came up with the idea of putting some of the biggest recording artists of the day over the remaining tracks and combining it with WW2 newsreel footage from 20th Century Fox’s’ vast archives calling it All This And World War Two”!!!”
Ultimately, the Official “Sgt. Pepper’s” Film was released to dismal reviews and box office returns, but the Bee Gees survived to become the biggest stars of the disco era with their records and songs featured in the movie, “Saturday Night Fever”
“STAYIN” ALIVE” BY THE BEE GEES http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_izvAbhExY
YOU SHOULD BE DANCIN'” BY THE BEE GEE GEES http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JoZS6LgqYI
IF I CAN’T HAVE YOU by YVONNE ELLIMAN http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Do14z5ycic
HOW DEEP IS YOUR LOVE? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBMriOspUvA&feature=related
The morning the Academy Award nominations were announced for the best song of 1977 “How Deep Is Your Love” was conspicuously absent from the nominees. Since it was my favorite record and song at the time I felt an obligation to find out what was going on. I went up to RSO records and asked my long time friend Al Coury, who was CEO of the company what happened.
He didn’t seem that upset when he told me that someone at his company submitted the song for consideration too late to be included. Al wasn’t that upset, because that same morning it was announced that the soundtrack for “SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER” had just sold 27 MILLION units making it the biggest soundtrack of all time!
My favorite of all their albums however is “Spirits Having Flown”, which includes “Tragedy” and “Too Much Heaven”, both written on the same day.
TRAGEDY http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSVTOMkJdqs&feature=related
TOO MUCH HEAVEN http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SeGMrUdhovk&feature=related
The Bee Gees became the biggest group in the world, and dominated the airwaves like no one since the Beatles! Even when their own record sales suffered from a disco backlash, they continued to have hits with other artists including their brother Andy.
SHADOW DANCIN’ by ANDY GIBB http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZxA3FVUwvk
DON’T THROW OUR LOVE AWAY (OUR LOVE) by ANDY GIBB http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAs8YU3L084&feature=related
EMOTIONS by SAMANTHA SANG http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mkTg1Cyun4
ISLANDS IN THE STREAM by KENNY ROGERS and DOLLY PARTON
WOMAN IN LOVE by BARBRA STREISAND http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ppc_dT-J5E&feature=related woman in love
WHAT KIND OF FOOL by BARBRA STREISAND and BARRY GIBB http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdQ6o9Aig9o&feature=related what kind of fool
GUILTY by BARBRA STREISAND and BARRY GIBB http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxMOByRYbsY&feature=related
The last time i saw Barry, Robin, and Maurice was at the ATLANTIC RECORDS anniversary party at Madison Square Garden in 1989. Since the tragic passing of Maurice and Andy Gibb, Barry and Robin have vowed never to perform as the Bee Gees again.
EXTRA! EXTRA! I’M HAPPY TO SAY THAT ROBIN GIBB HAS JUST COME OUT OF A COMA. OUR PRAYERS ARE WITH YOU FOR A COMPLETE RECOVERY. given only a 10% chance to survive Robin Gibb confounds doctor and awakes from a deep coma. Playing music that he and his brothers recorded has helped his recovery tremendously according to his family. Once again proving THE HEALING POWER OF MUSIC! http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/celebritynews/9219806/Robin-Gibb-confounds-doctors-by-waking-from-coma.html
THANK YOU ROBIN, BARRY, MAURICE, AND ANDY YOU’VE ENRICHED OUR LIVES HERE ON EARTH MORE THAN YOU’LL EVER KNOW!
Highest regards, Artie Wayne https://artiewayne.wordpress.com/2012/04/10/celebrating-two-million-views-today-on-artie-wayne-on-the-web/
copyright 2012 by Artie Wayne
NOW YOU CAN BUY THE ARTIE WAYNE BOOK ,“I DID IT FOR A SONG” AT AMAZON or Barnes & Noble or from Smashwords
TO READ A CHAPTER OR TWO FOR FREE CLICK HERE
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THE TOP 25 HALLOWEEN MUSIC VIDEOS!
October 26, 2008
“The first time I remember being scared was when I was 5 years old and my mother dangled me over the body of baseball great Babe Ruth, who was lying in state at Yankee Stadium. She wanted me to remember that afternoon for the rest of my life, and I have, which is why I don’t go to funerals.
The next time my adrenaline started rushing like that was when my Aunt took me to a second, or third-run theater, where they were playing “The Picture Of Dorian Gray” It’s a story of a man who sells his soul to remain young, while a portrait of him grows old hidden away in a closet. I was bored watching the black and white film, until they showed horrific, but stunning inserted technicolor clips of the decaying portrait. That image kept me awake for many nights, and is probably the reason I’m cautious going into closets today.
Although I had seen movies with Bela Lugosi as Dracula on TV, I was never scared because they were in black and white and not the colors of the real world. When Hammer Films, in the UK, re-did the classics in all their bloody, technicolor horror, with believable actors, that all changed! Christopher Lee, who played in a series of Dracula Films…made me believe in Vampires! I never doubted for a minute that he could bite you and condemn you to a “life” of the undead!
One dark and stormy night in London, while I was staying with my friend, record producer Lou Reizner and his wife Pam. I’m in the kitchen writing a song with Scott English (“Bend Me, Shape Me”, “Mandy”). There’s a flash of lightning, and standing behind Scott’s chair is a frighteningly familiar face…Christopher Lee!
I must’ve turned white. Scott said, “What’s the matter man, you look like you’ve seen a ghost?” I motion for him to look behind his chair. When he sees Christopher, hovering above him, he falls to his knees and makes the sign of the cross with two spoons. Lou Reizner starts laughing, when his unfazed friend Chris looks down at Scott and says, “Nice meeting you too!”
From the forthcoming book, “I Did It For A Song”…”If You Don’t like ’60s, ’70s music, you can kiss my past!”
And now in no particular order here are THE TOP HALLOWEEN MUSIC VIDEOS!
“TWILIGHT SOUNDTRACK” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6KYjytwr1w
The “Monster Mash” by Bobby “Boris” Pickett http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0thH3qnHTbI&feature=related
“BUMP” BY HERE COME THE MUMMIES http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1p4gfBHEUE
“The Addams Family Theme Song” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFD7KGBUtKI
“I Hear Voices” by Alan O’Day http://vimeo.com/1969065
From “GHOST”, the Righteous Brothers and “Unchained Melody” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXH4vDQWptU
“Disturbia” by Rihanna…with 18,000,000 views! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6zdhHLvT7k&feature=related
What about Ray Parker, Jr. and “Ghostbusters” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4uxIo4t7xM
“Witchcraft” byFrank Sinatra and Elvis Presley http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFzD5fJUC_U
“THRILLER” BY MICHAEL JACKSON HQ UNEDITED UNCENSORED’http://www.spike.com/video/michael-jackson/2714844
“Lightning Strikes” by Lou Christie (featuring Denise Ferri, Bernadette Carroll and Peggy Santiglia)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYO8GCIS3z4&feature=related
“Rock And Roll Heaven” by Ronnie Kimball https://artiewayne.wordpress.com/2006/08/20/rock-and-roll-heaven/
“Music Of The Night” from “Phantom Of The Opera” by Michael Crawford http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5dhyiqhR7Y
“Died InYour Arms Tonight” by Cutting Crew http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fD5YcFmke4
“Don’t Fear The Reaper” by Blue Oyster Cult http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x7i0b_blue-oyster-cult-dont-fear-the-reap
Peter Boyle and Gene Wilder, “Puttin’ On The Ritz” from “Young Frankenstein. http://video.aol.com/video-detail/puttin-on-the-ritz-young-frankenstein/2456189253
Warren Zevon and “Werewolves Of London” http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x19ajb_warren-zevon-werewolves-of-london_music
“Everybody” by the Backstreet Boys http://www.jockboymusic.com/jockboymusic/2008/10/12.html
“The Time Warp” from “The Rocky Horror Show” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yarYjuN-m8I
Rob Zombie and “Dragula” http://new.music.yahoo.com/videos/–2150313
“I Put A Spell On You” by Screamin’ Jay Hawkins http://movieblips.com/video/screamin_jay_hawkins_i_put_a_spell_on_you/
Alice Cooper “Welcome To My Nightmare” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQK5TbgopKw
HAPPY HALLOWEEN FROM ARTIE WAYNE ON THE WEB! EXCLUSIVE “MOVIE MONSTERS I HAVE KNOWN AND FED!” “Freddy Kruger, Frankenstein, Jack the Ripper were all customers at Genghis Cohen, the Hollywood restaurant I named and hosted, which is why I kept a sharpened chopstick on me at all times! https://artiewayne.wordpress.com/2008/10/28/movie-monsters-ive-known-and-fed/
Glow in the Dark Jackets hand painted by Artie Wayne http://artiewayne.com
Copyright 2012 by Artie Wayne
WHILE FIGHTING LARGE CORPORATIONS WHO ARE TRYING TO KEEP ROYALTIES AWAY ME AND THOUSANDS OF OTHER ARTISTS, SONGWRITERS AND PUBLISHERS, MY ONLY SOURCE OF INCOME IS FROM THE SALE OF MY BOOK. ” I DID IT FOR A SONG”, WITH OVER 100 STORIES FROM THE MUSIC BUSINESS OF THE ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s. I HOPE YOU’LL CONSIDER BUYING ONE DIRECTLY FROM ME THROUGH PAYPAL FOR ONLY $9.99 AT artiewayne@gmail.com OR BY CHECK TO…ARTIE WAYNE P.O. BOX 1105, DESERT HOT SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA 92240
THANKS AND REGARDS, ARTIE WAYNE https://artiewayne.wordpress.com/2012/04/10/celebrating-two-million-views-today-on-artie-wayne-on-the-web/
BACK TO ARTIE WAYNE ON THE WEB https://artiewayne.wordpress.com
BACK TO ARTIE WAYNE ON THE WEB https://artiewayne.wordpress.com
Artie Wayne On The Web 